Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting in Malta

Hello Merill fans,

Enjoy the clip featuring olive oil tasting at Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove locating in Mgarr, Malta!

Sahha!

Jeanette

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Maltese Breakfast with a Difference

Orange marmalade spread on bread

Extra Virgin olive oil and Olives

Olive oil and mint on crispy local bread

For more info about eco and agri tours, farm visits, and tasting sessions drop me a line on jeanette@merill.com.mt or visit our website www.merill.com.mt.

Smell the freshly baked bread in the village of Ħal-Qormi

Freshly baked bread - Photo: Jeanette Borg

As part of my daily routine, I walked through the village of Ħal-Qormi this morning, to buy freshly baked bread. Early in the morning, most of the villagers go shopping, others do their daily chores, while some enjoy a coffee while chatting with their neighbours. The smell of the freshly baked bread is simply amazing here. As the sun rises, the day gets busier when the market stalls are set up around the Parish church of St. Sebastian. The village gets increasingly busy by midday as shoppers from other villages come along to the market to buy fresh produce and other groceries.

Ħal-Qormi is also known as the Bread Making village. It is still to date, the village that has the largest number of traditional bakers operating bakeries that are several centuries old. So what's so special about this bread? Maltese traditional bread is characterised by a crispy outer crust and a spongy inside. The taste is particular given that sour dough is kneaded and let to rise. A loaf of bread can easily be turned into a delicious lunch by just adding olive oil, tomatoes, olives, capers, salt and pepper.

Traditional cheescakes (Pastizzi) in front of St. Sebastian Parish Church - Photo: Christian Borg

Tourists often ask me, "So how did these traditional bakeries survive in this industrial age?". Well, we're lucky about that and it's thanks to the Maltese people who choose to buy fresh bread daily, thus supporting this local traditions.

After visiting Ħal Qormi and other villages around the Maltese Islands, you'll realise that it's not just about sun and sea, resorts and nightlife. There is much more to discover! Whether you choose to stay at a hotel in St. Julian's or rent a village house away from the sea side areas, these core villages are no more than 20 minutes away (by car). 

Should you make up your mind to experience all this, drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com or visit our website for more details. One of our local guides can pick you up from where you're staying and guide you through these hidden treasured of Malta and Gozo. We offer a range of private tours for couples and families as well as group tours, so feel free to contact us :)

Saħħa għalikem (Good health to all of you)

Jeanette Borg

Merill Eco Tours

A group of students visit the Bingemma Olive Grove

View from the Olive Grove

We were pleased to host a group of students from the university association called "Youth for the Environment". Daniel Buhagiar is the current President of the organisation. The students all have the environment at heart and study at various faculties and institutes within the University of Malta including sciences, engineering and health. The scope of the association is to create environmental awareness, promote efficiency and contribute to sustainability in society. This rural experience was organised as one of their social events.

During the discussion

It was a splendid Sunday morning when John, a young farmer, and I met the group next to the Chapel of Our Lady of Ittria in Bingemma, Mgarr. After a brief introduction, we moved towards the Olive Grove where we were hosted by Nena, Tessie, Bella together with John. The youths were offered tea and coffee together with local jams and marmalades. Following that, the visit was complemented with an engaging discussion about rural tourism and agriculture. John, recalled how studying agriculture has kept him close to his family and the traditions they harness. Olive oil and other delicacies produced by the farmers within the Merill Network were also tasted during the experience. 

Olive oil tasting

Delicacy Tasting

At the olive grove

Photos by Kurt Cuschieri

To get involved in this student organisation visit their Facebook Fan Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/youthfortheenvironment

For more information about the Olive Grove Experience, drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com.

Cheers

Jeanette

Vines, Wines and Stunning views in Malta

Vines look splendid at this time of the year!

Preparing the local products display

Ready to be tasted!

Seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables

Spring weather is a blessing after a rainy winter. We're as busy as bees preparing for experiences to take place in the next few weeks. Tasting of delicious local products and relaxing in farm setups, is an excellent treat whether you're a local or a foreigner who is luck enough to be in Malta. Extra virgin olive oil, honey and strawberries all make tasting sessions uniquely Mediterranean. Strawberry picking activities are also in full swing and we're now very eager to hold the first sea salt harvesting sessions of the season in June.

If you're thinking of organising a stress-free eco experience, give us a call on 00356 79411388 or email on info@merillecotours.com

For more details please visit our website!

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Wie Merill Lokale Produkte, arbeiten wir mit den lokalen Bauern, um Erfahrungen zu Einheimischen und Touristen bieten, sowie vertreibt eine breite Palette von Produkten während der Besuche auf Bauernhöfen. Unser Sortiment umfasst Olivenöl, Wein, getrockneten Tomaten, Meersalz, Zwiebeln Gewürzgurken und Honig.

Experience the real Malta and Gozo with us!

Hawn tal-Pastizzi shan u tajbin!

Tourists visiting underground cave

Olive oil tasting with crispy Maltese bread

Guests take olive oil as tokens from Malta

Stick to the footpath :)

Clay slopes and Qarraba Plateau

Strawberry picking

Local Products Event at The Point Shopping Mall - 20th November 2011

Treacle Tarts - Maypole Bakery

Eco Hampers by Merill Local Products

Yesterday a local products themed event took place at The Point Shopping Complex at Tigne Point. Merill Local Products organised this event and teamed up with other producers of traditional and genuine food products to bring about a pre Christmas atmosphere at Malta's largest shopping mall.

Olive oil, honey and local fruit jams keep on being the most requested items by locals together with DOC wines. Sun dried tomatoes, pickled onions and cheeselets have been nicely put together into attractive Eco-Hampers. As Merill Local Products, we are doing our best to bring the farming community at the centre of our Eco-Hampers. All the products within each hamper comes directly from local famers thus keeping traditions alive and conserving Malta's rural landscape. Furthermore packaging materials are 100% upcycled therefore decreasing the carbon footprint. 

Large tables with fresh crispy bread filled level 0 with a lovely smell. Maypole bakeries offered a range of local products including traditional loaves of bread, treacle tarts and biscuits. Since 1973, Maypole bakeries have been owned and managed by Carmelo Debono who is constantly updating the wide range of products being offered, using modern machinery and latest technology to ensure optimum results. Mr. Debono works very hard together with his wife and six children to produce the very best products, all baked the traditional way.

Nougat Products by Beehive

Weaved Products

Barn eggs and Poultry meat by Tal-Malti Producer Organisation

This time we also decided to partner with a locally recognised producer organisation that is doing an excellent job in producing sustainable poultry products. Tal-Malti is the brand name of "The Malta Poultry Producers Organisation" that encompasses six established farmers rearing egg layer chickens and broilers. The farms enjoy high animal welfare and hygiene standards. Poultry meat products currently sold by the PO include whole chicken and separate poultry pieces all packed, weighed and barcoded to be sold at local butchers and at the Farmers Market in Ta' Qali every Tuesday and Saturday.


Eggs come in a variety of convenient carton sized and are produced by chickens reared in enriched cages and from barn hens. A total of 500,000 broiler chickens are reared every year together with 30,000 laying hens. It's great to have a local Producer Organisation who is continuously developing innovative products ideal for customers that are health conscious and are looking for well priced food items.


Their latest product is the "Kappuccel Tal-Malti", a spring chicken that makes an excellent meal for one or two persons. I've personally tried cooking these spring chickens on a BBQ and in the oven, and in spite my cooking skills are quite poor, I still manage to make great meals out of this little chicken :)

I strongly recommend all the range of poultry products offered by Tal-Malti as they are absolutely fresh and delicious!

To book your eco hampers now - call on 21/27/79411388!